Question:
I know people's tastes in scents are incredibly individual but I'm looking for suggestions of things to try - not necessarily buy blind. Ideally, I'll order a batch of samples/decants and help her find something she (and I) both enjoy. We've been dating for a bit over a year and while she DOES enjoy the fact I always (or at least ALMOST always ) smell nice, she finds my "obsession" with fragrances and my ever growing wardrobe a bit odd to say the very least. I'll try my best to describe her and perhaps somebody could give me a few suggestions on where to start as I'm relatively clueless when it comes to a lot of the fragrances marketed more towards women.
She currently wears:
Burberry London (her current favorite that she wears most often)
Armani - Sensi (she said she knew she loved it but couldn't find it anywhere - I got her this one for Christmas)
Fresh: Cannabis Santal (I gave her my sample and she loved it - bought her a nice sized decant as a stocking stuffer)
Polo Blue for women
She HATES CK Escape for women (sad really, as for some reason I positively love this one) and she absolutely loathes that Body Fantasies Fresh White Musk (haha I also for some reason like this one, although I used it as a febreeze substitute and spritzed it on the filter of my air conditioner..)
A couple of MY scents that she's commented on liking are Etro - Mahogany, Creed - Tabarome Millesime, L'Artisan - Timbuktu, Dzonghka, and Passage d'Enfer (she wore each of them once and I though they were absolutely amazing on her but she didn't seem all that enthralled with any of them) Le Labo Vetiver 46, Gucci PH, CDG Kyoto & Quarzazate.
I also know she owns a 100ml bottle of the original and now discontinued Guess? perfume (the dark brownish red one in the triangular twisted bottle) It's about 85% full and she said she liked it at one time but has "had her time with it" and doesn't wear it anymore. (I'm trying to convince her to give it to me so I can decant it considering it's been discontinued for awhile )
She also gave me a full 1.7oz bottle of Black Cashmere and asked if I could "get rid of it on that cologne message board you are always reading" haha She said she liked it on someone else but didn't care for it once she tried it on herself.
I know she also wore patchouli oil and sandalwood oil for years as her primary fragrance. She also adores Nag Champa incense, the Sandalwood scented candles that are sold at Target (some Target house brand of candles) and amazingly enough says she really likes things that smell kind of like "bugspray" but in a good way, as well as warm, earthy, tobacco scents. She does NOT like floral/fruity and said she doesn't prefer gourmand scents. (it surprised me a bit she enjoyed Cannabis Santal & doesn't mind A*men on me)
As far as a personal description - well, she's a far cry from your "typical gal". She's 32, about to graduate college with a business degree, she spits alot, cusses like a sailor, drives a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle which she works on herself (last time she was over I commented that she smelled "interesting" and asked what she was wearing and her response was "transmission fluid, it's in my hair and its hard to wash out"), has several tattoos including one which covers her entire chest area, is mildly obsessed with 1950's fashion and pinup girls, but she's also very much a lady, and an amazing one at that - and I'm very much in love with her.. :-D
The male discussion board has seen alot of "What would so-and-so wear..." threads. Given the girl I've described, what would you picture HER wearing? any suggestions on places to start or scents to look into are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Answer:
She reminds me of a friend of mine.... I wonder if she might like Guerlain Samsara(since she likes sandalwood) and maybe Le baiser du dragon by Cartier(.Of some reason I can also picture Shalimar on her.Anyway,good luck with your chaseHope you find something she loves

Answer:
She sounds really interesting and unique. For some reason I also picture Shalimar on her. What about Chanel Cuir de Russie? She might like that one.
Good luck.

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I've read alot of reviews of Tabac Blond and know alot of folks consider it a classic favorite. Does this sound like something worth considering as well??

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Maybe Samsara or Coco Mademoiselle. Most people like Tabac Blond, but I don't like tobacco at all. Why not take her sniff shopping or give her a variety of samples?

Answer:
Originally Posted by TDDanae Why not take her sniff shopping or give her a variety of samples? I may go the lots of samples/decants route but sniff shopping is absolutely out of the question. She lives in a town with a population of under 25,000 and the ONLY place which sells fragrances is a chain pharmacy and the local grocery store.
Sadly, my town isn't much better - we do have a Macy's but I'm kind of hoping to find something a bit more uncommon and niche. One of the things I love about basenotes is that it's exposed me to so many truly amazing scents that I never would have stumbled upon or had access to in department store. It really opened my nose to how much is truly "out there" when it comes to fragrances and I'm hoping to share a bit of that magic with her.
Thanks so much for your suggestions!

Answer:
Would you consider Prada? I know, sounds crazy since she doesn't really sound like she would wear Prada clothing ... but I was thinking with the patchouli and sandalwood notes handled in a modern, contemporary way, this might appeal to her independent side, but the old-fashioned atomizer style of the bottle and the pale pink juice might call to the 50's pin-up girl in her soul.

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What about L'Artisan Patchouli Patch? Or Voleur des Roses (spelling?).

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Originally Posted by MysteryFemme What about L'Artisan Patchouli Patch? Or Voleur des Roses (spelling?). Well those are certainly possibilities considering I've been wanting to check both of them out for myself.. I did let her try Profumum's Patchouli as well as Le Labo's Patchouli 24 and she said they both smelled "nice" but didn't seem crazy about either of them. I also encouraged her to try wearing MPG's Secret Melange but she didn't seem too excited about it. She did seem to like Dzing! a bit. I guess when it comes down to it I just have to accept that "I" am the one who's crazy about fragrances and it's not always possible to get other people as interested in exploring them.. I'm sure some of you ladies have significant others who aren't all that interested in wearing fragrances and have felt the same way at times.
Thanks a million for all the suggestions!

Answer:
OMG!! Love this thread!
As I read your first post, my first thought was that this woman was so lucky to have a guy so invested in her - my second thought was that the affair was doooomed - my third thought was "Hang onto this woman! She sure sounds like I keeper!!"
You're knowledgeable so you know how to send away for samples and which online sellers have decants of the niches. I'm thinking Tuberose Criminelle (Lutens) which starts out smelling like a garage. Or CdeG Odeur 71. Ava-Luxe has several pin-up girl frags - Madame X - Film Noire.
Please let us know how this works out!